A Very Merry Infinite Holiday Tale
by sinister banana
Summary: Two-shot winter holiday fluff in which everyone wants Prince, of course. —PrincexWicked, PrincexGui.
1. Mistletoe Madness

Disclaimer: 1/2 Prince belongs to Yu Wo.

A/N: This story was haphazardly written in the holiday spirit and is a surprise present for my beta reader **Astroelvengoddess** because the latest chapter in my story _Romancing a Phoenix_ is making her crave some PrincexWicked fluff. Therefore, any glaring spelling/grammar errors are totally my fault so please feel free to point those out to me.

Happy Holidays from **sinister banana** to all of you!

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><p><strong>Part I: Mistletoe Madness<strong>

Christmas had befallen Second Life. With great gusto, Yu Lian decorated the halls of the castle with boughs of holly and evergreen firs. In the great entryway stood a Christmas tree so large it seemed to defy the laws of physics. Yu Lian gleefully ordered the members of the Odd Squad and their other teammates in the Infinite City around in assisting with decorations and stringing the tree with garlands and lights. After several hours of intense decorating, Ice Phoenix finally collapsed under the weight of pile of tinsel.

"Yu Lian, enough of this! Why are we decorating for some stupid, one-day holiday?" Phoenix complained, voice slightly muffled and coughing as she struggled to extract her body from her tinsel prison.

"This castle always needs to be decorated in a manner fit for a legendary overlord. We can't spare any expense on this or we'll be the laughing stock of Second Life!"

Prince sweatdropped as he carefully removed Ice Phoenix from her merry, silver death-trap. "Isn't this going a little…overboard?" he dared to ask. He was quickly silenced from further comment by the mage's glare.

The other individuals in the team continued to work, not wanting to be on the wrong end of Yu Lian's temper. Doll and Meatbun, being considered the two "children" of the group, sang holiday carols in the corner to brighten the mood and set a joyous tone for work. They half-heartedly attempted to string popcorn but found themselves eating much more than they were stringing.

Yu Lian looked pointedly at Prince. "Prince, do you realize how much effort it takes to uphold the image of someone worthy of legend? Don't you want to be forever remembered as Second Life's greatest player?"

Prince sighed heavily and rubbed his temple. "I just don't see how holiday decorations are going to help achieve this," he pointed out. "I'm already the Central Continent's overlord. My team won the Adventurer's Tournament _and_ I'm the lead singer of the Infinite Band."

Yu Lian appeared annoyed. "Well you can't stop now just because you think you have so many accomplishments. You have to flaunt your riches so people know how truly wealthy…er, I mean wonderful you are."

Prince frowned. He was about to open his mouth to reply when the sound of giggling distracted him. He turned his head to see Fairsky dangling mistletoe over Sunshine's head while she stood directly in front of him. Sunshine smiled and looked at Fairsky in mild confusion.

"It's tradition for two people standing under the mistletoe to kiss," her voice seemed amplified in the hall. "We're under the mistletoe together so you have to kiss me, Sunshine."

Sunshine only smiled more brightly as he leaned down to "honor" this tradition with Fairsky. Suddenly Prince felt a cold chill run down his spine and he turned around to see several dozen sets of eyes looking at him and the pile of mistletoe at his feet hungrily. Prince took a nervous step backward.

"Yu Lian…"

The mage grinned maniacally. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. The other reason we're decorating is because we're having a holiday party and you're the main attraction. Thousands of female players will be paying to attend this extravaganza."

Prince took off at a run as several individuals dove at his feet to snatch up handfuls of mistletoe. "Yu Lian, I can't believe you!" he managed a yell before sprinting out of the hall. Of course this was all some plot to get more money.

As he ran throughout the castle, he finally glimpsed one of Yu Lian's marketing posters and cursed inwardly. It had his glowing face on the front and a sprig of mistletoe above his head. The caption underneath simply said: "Who will catch Prince under the mistletoe this year?" Then it listed the price to attend and the time of the holiday party.

"I'm going to kill you, Yu Lian!" he screamed loudly as he continued to be chased down the hallway by crazed fangirls.

**~o~0~o~**

The days leading up to the party were excruciating. Sprigs of mistletoe decorated the entire castle. Prince felt like it wasn't safe to step out of his room. "Stupid, Yu Lian!" he whined, sitting on the bed and hugging his knees to his chest. "She ruins everything!"

His stomach growled loudly and he hugged his knees more tightly. He was hungry, but the last time he left his room it was like entering a minefield. He'd carefully avoided the mistletoe traps set above his head and just barely avoided the one set by Ice Phoenix above the refrigerator. His teammates knew him all too well.

"Mama! Meatbun-bun is hungry!" Meatbun complained, tears starting to shine in the little bun's eyes.

Prince patted the top of Meatbun's head. "I know, Meatbun. Just wait a little longer. I'll think of a plan." _Or work up enough desperation to enter the battle zone again_.

A knock sounded at the door. Prince tensed. He didn't want anyone to know where he was hiding. He managed the last time to make it look like he was heading for the castle's labyrinth rose garden, which was sure to distract his "attackers" for a while. The last time he'd ventured in there he'd been lost for almost a week and Yu Lian had to send in a search party.

"**Xiao Lan, are you in there?**"

Prince scrambled off the bed. Of course! Why didn't he think of it before? He could send Wicked out to the kitchens to retrieve his food. He yanked open the door and pulled the flustered dark elf inside before quickly slamming and bolting the door shut again.

"Zhuo-gege!" Prince exclaimed, looking at Wicked like he was his personal savior.

Wicked seemed alarmed at the way Prince was staring at him. "Xiao Lan, are you ok?"

Prince's stomach growled in response. Meatbun sniffled. "Meatbun-bun is hungry!" the bun wailed loudly.

"And so am I!" Prince said. He looked up at Wicked with large doleful eyes. "Wicked, I can't leave this place. The entire castle is a trap."

Wicked looked at Prince's expectant face and sighed loudly. "So you want me to go to the kitchen and get you and Meatbun food?"

"YES! That would be amazing! Thanks so much for volunteering."

Wicked wasn't sure how to respond. He'd come up here because the mistletoe extravaganza was almost as bad for himself and Gui as it was for Prince. Not as many girls had been as keen on chasing him down as they had been for the legendary Blood Elf, but he'd still had several close calls. He was about to respond with a negative and admit he'd just come up here to hide out when he caught the look on Prince's face. The elf was eyeing him in pure admiration. Wicked's heart thumped erratically.

His shoulders slumped. "Anything you want in particular?"

Prince's brilliant smile lit up the room. "Mushroom buns, scallion pancakes, shrimp dumplings, shaomai, fried squid, red bean buns…"

Wicked only smiled as the elf continued to list off dozens of dishes. He patted Prince on the head. "Right, I'll see what I can do."

Prince grinned. "Thank you, Wicked. You're the absolute best."

"I know, I know," Wicked replied teasingly, turning his head to hide the blush rising on his face at Xiao Lan's words of praise. He faced the door and took a deep breath as he prepared himself for his mission.

"Oh, and Wicked?"

"Ye—" Wicked started to say as he turned his head but was cut off by a sloppily placed kiss.

Prince took a step back, hands over his mouth and a worried look in his eyes. "OH GOSH! I am so sorry. That was supposed to go on your cheek. For good luck, just like old times."

Wicked, still shell-shocked, just slowly put a hand to his mouth in astonishment. "You just…"

"I KNOW!" Prince's face lit up in embarrassment. "I suppose even just a kiss on the cheek is weird since I'm a guy in Second Life, right? Ahh, I should have thought about it more. It's just…your face reminded me of when we were kids, and you used to look worried before a huge test and I would always give you a kiss on the cheek for good luck."

Prince was rambling and Wicked just continued to look on, a smile slowly spreading across his handsome face. He couldn't believe she remembered doing that for him. He thought she'd forgotten everything that had occurred to them in years prior. It was all somehow…very sweet…and felt rewarding after being shoved aside for so long. Wicked was elated. Ecstatic. Overwhelmingly happy. It was a Christmas wish finally come true.

"It's not weird at all," Wicked finally said, silencing Prince who looked up at him nervously. "Thank you. I feel better now."

Prince still couldn't seem to meet his eyes. "Are…are you sure? Because I really should have given it more thought. I mean—"

"No, Xiao Lan, it's fine. In fact, you should do it more often," Wicked gave the sexiest smirk to a very stunned Prince and flew out the door before he let his hormones get the best of him.

Prince continued to stare at the closed door long after Wicked had passed through it. The smile Wicked had given sent tingles through his body and his heart thumped irregularly in the aftermath. He shook his head furiously. No. _No_. This is what happened to him when his blood sugar was low and he was not thinking clearly from lack of food. Yes. That absolutely had to be what was going on. Prince flung himself onto his bed before allowing the tiniest smile to creep across his face. Well, if he had to be caught under the mistletoe with someone, maybe Wicked wasn't such a bad choice after all.

**~o~0~o~**

By the time Wicked returned with an armload of food, both parties had calmed themselves down. "Thanks again, Zhuo-gege," Prince mumbled through a mouthful of food. "This is all really good."

Prince gobbled down the food like there was no tomorrow. Meatbun also stuffed his face happily. Wicked leaned back against the bed, smiling as he watched the two devour all the food he'd brought. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down. Geez, that dish is hot."

Prince slurped the rice noodles and set the bowl down with a grin. "Ahhhh, I feel so refreshed. I really can't thank you enough. I thought I was going to die of starvation up here." He reached for one of the red bean buns and took a happy bite.

Meatbun's eyes widened as Wicked uncovered a steaming plate of warm meat buns. He began bouncing excitedly. "Mama! Mama! You should always kiss Wicked if it means he'll bring us so much delicious food!" Meatbun exclaimed before digging into his tray of meat buns.

Wicked noticed Prince turn pink out of the corner of his eyes. "Um…Meatbun…no…er…that is to say…"

Wicked laughed loudly. "It's not going to be a common occurrence. Right, Prince?" He turned to face the Blood Elf.

Prince blushed and took another bite of his red bean bun. "Right," he mumbled, staring resolutely at the floor. "Definitely not common."

"Prince?"

The elf continued to stare at his feet.

"Prince?"

The elf tried very hard to will the blush off his face and appear normal.

"Xiao Lan!"

"What?" Prince finally looked up. His heart stopped when he realized how much closer Wicked had moved to him.

"You have red bean paste on your face," Wicked frowned and pointed.

Prince's face only lit up more as he tried to furiously wipe the red bean paste away and save his dignity. Wicked started to laugh as Prince became increasingly frustrated with each failed attempt. "Did I get it now?" Prince asked eagerly for the fourth time.

Wicked just raised an eyebrow in amusement. "No," he replied with a smirk. "Xiao Lan, stop it. You're ridiculous. Here, let me do it."

Prince was sure Zhuo-gege could hear his heart beating out of his chest when Wicked leaned in close for a better look. The dark elf tenderly reached out a hand and wiped the red bean paste from the corner of Prince's mouth with his thumb. "See?" Wicked held it out to show him. "Was it really that hard—"

His words caught in his throat at the feeling of Prince's hot mouth encircling his thumb. The elf leaned back, licking his lips and smiling. "Mmm, can't let a drop go to waste! Thanks for saving that for me, Zhuo-gege."

Wicked swallowed very slowly, trying to calm himself down and not jump to conclusions. "Xiao Lan…?" he asked hesitantly.

Prince looked up at him discreetly. "Yes, Zhuo-gege?" He'd just picked up another bun.

He watched as the girl he loved focused all her attention on him. She was happy, and he was happy being here for her. He wished he could capture this moment in his mind forever. He wanted to remember everything. The smile on her face. The joy in his heart. This was his most cherished holiday memory. Just sitting here and eating with Xiao Lan.

"Open the door! We know you're in there!" Yu Lian's angry voice came from the other side of the door. The sound of someone kicking it followed. "We'll break down this stupid thing if we have to. The party starts soon, and if you're not there, the refund money for your absence will come out of your food budget."

Prince's face paled. "My food budget?" he muttered weakly.

"Yes, Prince. Just yours. We'll all eat loads of meat buns in front of your hungry face," Lolidragon's voice cackled.

"I'm coming!" Prince ran to the door. Wicked was torn between a sigh and a laugh. His magical moment was ruined, and the girl he loved really did only care about food. She'd do just about anything for it. Even kiss him. Even something as absurd as licking sweet bean paste right off his thumb.

"Wicked, are you coming? Don't you want to try to get me under the mistletoe too?" Prince's teasing voice broke his train of thought. Wicked shook his head and stood up smiling.

"Try to get you? You already gave me a kiss."

"WHAT?" A chorus went up from the Odd Squad members that had come to retrieve their overlord. The elf turned bright red.

Gui looked horrified and grasped Prince by the shoulders, one hand on each side. He shook the elf as he wailed. "Noooo, Prince! Say it isn't true!"

Prince's eyes widened and then narrowed before punching Gui in the face. "You stupid bard, let go of me!"

"Quick, grab the mistletoe. We want Prince to kiss us too!" Someone down the hall shouted.

Prince wrestled himself from Gui and backed away in terror at the advancing female hoard. "Save meeeee!" he wailed and took off running.

"Prince, just make sure you run towards the Grand Ballroom. You have to make at least one appearance there tonight!" Yu Lian shouted after his retreating form.

**~o~0~o~**

In the end, Prince managed to get away with only kissing eleven girls that night. Ice Phoenix pouted in the corner as the mistletoe decorations were slowly taken down after the festivities had ended. She was one of many unlucky girls that had failed to secure a kissing session with the handsome elf. She sighed heavily as she sat on a bench in the corner.

Prince lay spread-eagle in the center of hall. His eyes swirled. "No more girls. No more running." As soon as the last female player had been rounded up and ushered out, his legs had given out and he'd slumped down in the center of the room. How could those girls run so fast? Wasn't his agility level far above theirs?

"At least you can rest now," Lolidragon pointed out, trying to be encouraging. "For a couple days at best."

Prince propped himself up on his elbows and narrowed his eyes suspiciously in Lolidragon's direction. "What do you mean for a couple days?" he asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.

Wicked decided he would break the unfortunate news to Prince. "This party was such a success that Yu Lian also planned a New Year's Eve celebration."

"There will be dancing and food and a ball drop and everything!" Doll twirled excitedly at the thought.

"And the best part is," Lolidragon grinned as her eyes turned to stars, "the fireworks at midnight! It's always fun to kiss the person you love at midnight."

Prince's face paled at the words. "Kissing? There's going to be kissing involved again?"

"Oh, yes! It's the best part of New Year's," Lolidragon nodded her head vigorously and smirked pointedly at Prince.

As if on cue, Doll suddenly mused aloud, "I wonder who Prince-gege will kiss at midnight?"

All eyes suddenly turned towards the liege lord. Prince felt a sinking feeling in his stomach and dropped his head to the floor. This could not be happening to him. Not again. It was too ridiculous. "Well, Prince," Lolidragon reasoned. "You said you never wanted to be alone on the holidays."

If he closed his eyes, he could pretend this was all a bad dream, right?

"**Don't worry, Xiao Lan. I'll protect you.**"

Prince rolled over so the rest of the company wouldn't see the huge smile that just spread across his face. Only Wicked, standing off to the side with arms crossed, knew why the elf suddenly seemed so much lighter. He smiled in response and sent Prince another PM.

"**Merry Christmas, Xiao Lan.**"

"**Merry Christmas, Zhuo-gege.**"

**~0~o~0~**

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><p>AN: Please review, and if you read any of my other stories please make sure you review those too. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for _Part II: New Year's Nightmare_. Ciao! (^,^)/


	2. New Year's Nightmare

Disclaimer: 1/2 Prince belongs to Yu Wo.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the splendid reviews, and for all of you kind enough to review my other stories as well! Again, this chapter is unbeta'd (I don't even know how to spell that...) so please point out any mistakes you see. **Astroelvengoddess**, and all my other readers, please enjoy the ending to _A Very Merry Infinite Holiday Tale_. Happy Belated New Year's to everyone!

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><p><strong>Part II: New Year's Nightmare<strong>

"I can't do this again," Prince shook his head, looking exasperated as he stood before Yu Lian.

Yu Lian tutted, sighing and sounding annoyed. "Prince, we're not filling the castle with mistletoe again. This one is entirely up to you. You should be grateful for the opportunity to spend this night with those you love."

Prince finally threw his hands up in complete irritation. "Yu Lian-dasao! That's the problem. You invited half of the Central Continent! How am I supposed to enjoy this evening?"

Yu Lian crossed her arms. "Well, Prince, that is for you to decide." And with that she turned swiftly on her heels and marched away. She called over her shoulder as she exited his room, "The one thing I ask is that you don't miss the grand entrance for the ball. And _please_ have a partner when you enter for the opening dance."

The door shut behind Yu Lian's retreating figure. Prince kicked at the wall in outrage. This was so _frustrating_. Why did he have to be the most popular male in Second Life? Why couldn't his life ever be normal? Moreover, _why weren't his teammates helping him_? Yu Lian almost appeared to enjoy tormenting him. So did Lolidragon. Even Wolf-dage seemed to be suppressing amused smirks whenever Prince was in the vicinity. He couldn't take it anymore. "You're supposed to be my teammates! Why aren't you ever there for me?"

"**Xiao Lan, how are you holding up?**"

Prince stopped for a moment as he paused to read Wicked's PM. His frown turned into a soft smile at the words. Zhuo-gege had been overly nice to him these last several days, quietly comforting the elf as Prince tried not to lose his sanity over his anger and frustration with his supposed "friends" in Second Life. Because come on, what kind of friends would throw you into party with screaming fangirls? Or insist that you become a kissing booth? Honestly. His purity was doomed the moment he started playing Second Life.

But Zhuo-gege was different. He was always looking out for her and protecting her from harm, even when Feng Lan didn't want it. Prince messaged back. "**As best I can**."

"**Good. Let me know if you need anything. I'll be by your side in an instant.**"

Prince fought hard to quell the warm, pleasant bubble of heat rising in his stomach at the words. Since when did Zhuo-gege have this much of an effect on him? His words lately had not only been comforting, but had been making Prince feel all sorts of unusual happiness. Ever since that misplaced kiss, Prince had been confused but refused to address the issue or even ponder why he felt confused in the first place.

Prince sighed and walked over to his wardrobe before pulling out the outfit Yu Lian had designated for him. He took Meatbun out of his pouch and placed him on the vanity so he could quickly undress. Before he did, though, he paused in careful consideration at the costume before him. _Costume_, because he couldn't really figure out what else it should be called. He scratched his head and tried to recall where he'd seen an outfit like this before.

Meatbun jumped up and down excitedly. "Mama! Mama! Try it on! Try it on! Meatbun-bun wants to see."

Prince frowned as he held the shirt and what appeared to be leggings of some sort up to his body. "Ok, Meatbun. But close your eyes until I tell you to open them."

"Yes, Mama," Meatbun answered before squeezing his eyes shut in intense concentration.

Prince smiled at his cute pet, quickly undressing so his little Meatbun wouldn't have to remain with a scrunched face for too long. "Ok, you can open them."

Meatbun opened his eyes and his little mouth fell open. He had no words. "Wow…"

Prince shimmered faintly in the room as if surrounded by a moonlit glow. There must be some sort of special thread in the material Yu Lian ordered. Prince eyed himself in the mirror. His own appearance captivated and mesmerized him. There was absolutely no way he could escape away unnoticed at the party. The unearthly glow that surrounded him demanded attention. He was everything a prince should be – handsome, mysterious, soft, fierce.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair. Yu Lian really went all out on this one, and she ensured he would remain center stage the entire night. The last thought made him frown again. He sighed despite Meatbun's continued cheers on how magical he looked and placed the bouncing pet on his head. He took a deep breath and opened the door, only to find himself face to face with a pair of midnight purple eyes.

Prince jumped back slightly, trying not to appear too startled. He saw Gui take in his appearance and fall speechless. "…Charming…" Prince heard the bard breathe quietly.

Prince raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What?"

Gui shook his head to bring himself back to his senses, but seemed to fail as he only kept staring at the elf and blinking as if caught in a dream. In the back of his mind, Prince wondered if his appearance would have the same effect on everyone he met this evening. Maybe he would simply render all of the guests speechless and unmovable. That would save him the trouble of having to talk to, dance with, or entertain anyone. He suddenly realized that this outfit not only made him appear otherworldly, it made him entirely unapproachable. He smirked maliciously at the thought and decided he would have to thank Yu Lian later.

"Mama's glowing tonight!" Meatbun announced joyfully from atop the elf's head. "Isn't it pretty?"

Gui slowly nodded his head. Seeing the bard completely speechless somehow unnerved Prince. It wasn't like him. It just simply wasn't Gui if the bard wasn't talking his ear off and throwing himself at the elf.

"Gui?"

Gui finally appeared to focus all his effort into turning his head from Prince's face and looking down at the floor. He finally mumbled. "Yu Lian wasn't kidding when she said she was making you the perfect Prince Charming."

And that's when it hit Prince. That's who he was reminded of, a fairytale character. In that moment, Prince realized that Gui also appeared to be dressed as some sort of strange garb and had something weird and green on his head. "Why are you dressed so funny too?" Prince couldn't help asking.

Gui refused to look at Prince, not wanting to be blinded into silence again by the sight of him. "It's a fairytale ball. I'm the Frog Prince."

Prince put two and two together – the green accents in the costume, the green beanie on Gui's head that might pass as a poor imitation of a lily pad, and the absurd, hunter-green tights that the bard was forced to wear. Prince suddenly burst out laughing. "You look ridiculous."

Gui gave a sheepish grin at the noise. Prince's laugh always sounded like music to his hears. "It was either this or the Pied Piper, and I'm not too fond of the second."

Prince kept grinning finally pleased with the turn in events. "Did Yu Lian pick out all of the costumes?"

"Oh, yes, every single one. For our team and friends at least," Gui answered.

Prince found himself actually starting to look forward to the night's events, if only to see everyone dressed in odd costumes and trying to figure out who they all were supposed to be. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a terrible evening after all.

"Mama! Go downstairs. Meatbun-bun wants to see everyone's costumes! Meatbun-bun wants to see the fairytale."

Prince smiled. "Sure, Meatbun. Gui, lead the way!"

Gui looked shocked for a moment, and then gave a smile as he turned his head to hide the blush rising on his face and to take Prince down to the grand ballroom.

**~o~0~o~**

The moment Prince arrived Yu Lian rushed down upon him. Brown ringlets flowed down her back and her hair was pulled away from her face. She wore a yellow satin ballgown and looked extremely flushed. "You're just in time. We're about to announce you. Have you decided who your partner is?"

Prince blinked in confusion. Partner…what? He was still trying to figure out Yu Lian's character.

He glanced over at Gui's hopeful expression. Turning his head, he also noticed Wicked in the vicinity. He tilted his head as he eyed Wicked's outfit. He was dressed in forest green, wore brown boots, and had a quiver slung over his back. A pointed green cap with a red feather topped his white-blonde hair. Prince grinned in recognition. "You're Robin Hood!" he exclaimed, pleased that he had figured it out so quickly.

Wicked couldn't muster a comment. He too was captivated by the glowing figure that was Prince. Wu Qing stood next to him, eyeing Prince in mild disdain. It was clear that Wu Qing hated his own costume and was jealous that Prince had a good one. Wu Qing crossed his arms over his jumper-clad body and glared at Prince.

"Why are you so shiny?" Wu Qing frowned.

"Why are you wearing lederhosen?" Prince stifled a smirk.

Lolidragon bounded up and started laughing hysterically. "Because Yu Lian made him Hansel from Hansel and Gretel."

"Shut up! It's not like I had any say in the matter." Wu Qing's face turned bright red. "But your costume just suits you perfectly, Lolidragon! Yu Lian really got your awful and conniving personality down with that one."

Now it was Lolidragon's turn to fume. She crossed her arms and leveled a cool gaze at Wu Qing. "Rumplestiltskin is _clever_. I wish I could say the same thing about Hansel, but in the end she got your personality down too. Fat and lazy."

"Why you—"

Yu Lian's voice rose over their argument. "Enough! Everyone needs to take their place with their partners." She turned to Prince. "And _you_ especially better find one soon."

Instead of feeling heated glances directed his way Prince only felt looks of longing. His costume was immaculate and he was untouchable. Gui and Wicked both continued to stare at him with matching looks of desperation in their eyes. Ice Phoenix couldn't even form a sound when her eyes landed on the handsome elf. Prince noted vaguely the pea-shaped pendant hanging from her neck, which was the only unusual piece in a rather immaculate and pretty pink ballgown.

Ugly Wolf stepped up next to Yu Lian. He wore a handsome suit and a smile on his face as the two began the procession into the ballroom of awaiting guests. Prince heard the announcer give a brief welcome and rattle off their names as the crowd 'oohed' and 'awed' at the Beauty and the Beast couple standing before them.

But Prince didn't have time to appreciate his friends' ingenious outfits. His teammates were slowly pairing themselves up and entering the grand ballroom to enormous amounts of applause. At this rate he'd end up alone and Yu Lian would be furious. He thought quickly through his options. Lolidragon? No. He was fairly certain something was going on between her and his brother. Fairsky and Rose were taken too. Ice Phoenix? He shuddered at the thought of her being attached to him for the rest of the evening. Definitely no. He'd never hear the end of it. That left…Wicked or Gui?

He paused and looked nervously over at the two. He felt more comfortable with Wicked at the moment, but even then he was not comfortable enough to appear at the top of the main staircase with a male escort in tow. Trying to appear straight to the rest of Second Life was one of the only normalcies in his life as Prince.

Then he spied of flash of red. Meatbun noticed it too.

"Red Riding Hood!" Meatbun exclaimed.

"Doll!" Prince sighed in relief as the tiny figure turned around to face him.

Doll's eyes widened in delight. "Wow! Prince-gege looks like an angel."

Prince felt his cheeks redden at her childish and unabashed awe. "Really, you think so?"

Doll nodded her head vigorously. "Prince-gege should've been a celestial being instead of an elf."

"And Doll makes the cutest Little Red Riding Hood," he ruffled the red hood on her head. He leaned down to smile and asked, "Would you walk Prince Charming down the staircase? I think only another celestial being can do it."

Doll practically trembled in excitement. "Yes!" she exclaimed and began jumping excitedly. "It would be Doll's honor to escort Prince-gege."

Meatbun gave a little shout too. "Yay! Red Riding Hood and Meatbun-bun can arrive together!"

Doll held her arms out so that Meatbun could jump into them. She squeezed him tightly. "Would Meatbun like to ride in Doll's wicker basket?"

"Yes! Yes!" shouted the tiny bun.

Prince held his hand out to Doll, who took it graciously after carefully arranging Meatbun in her basket so that he could look out and see the crowd. The two stepped forward to be announced and a hush fell in the ballroom at Prince's appearance. There it was again. No words. No movement from the crowd. Just those looks of desperate longing and silent desire. Prince was grateful for the silence because it meant there was no danger of a chaotic uproar or girls crying loudly at him and trying to chase him down.

Doll smiled sweetly. "Prince-gege is the most magical Prince Charming tonight. He captivates everyone."

This caused the faintest blush to appear on his cheekbones, and rather than this comment ruining the moment and starting a mad chase for the elf, it only made every girl in the room sigh in dreamy agreement. This one time they would all share Prince and admire from afar, because no one could bring themselves to mess with something so absolutely perfect.

**~o~0~o~**

As the night continued, Prince noted with increasing unease the unusual quietness of Wicked, Gui, and everyone else around him. "**Zhuo-gege?**" Prince messaged him. "**What's wrong?**"

Messaging seemed to work better, because Wicked was having trouble forming coherent sentences around him. Prince found this out the hard way by walking directly up to his friend and trying to start a conversation. Wicked only dropped his mouth and swallowed hard while staring. Prince remembered Gui's reaction from earlier and the bard's need to look anywhere but Prince's glowing figure, so he quickly excused himself to the food table and decided to talk to Wicked where the dark elf couldn't see him.

"**How did Yu Lian do that to you? Make you so…so…**"

"**Shiny?**" Prince didn't know how to describe himself either and used the word Wu Qing had for it earlier.

"**Radiant**."

Prince definitely felt that funny warm feeling rise inside him at that. He squashed it with a bite of red velvet cupcake. "**I don't know. Must be something in the fabric.**" Prince ventured a look up from the food he was selecting and saw all the females in the room just staring at him despondently, like they all had broken hearts and he was the cause of it. They had been like this all night and he couldn't decide if this really was a step up from being chased mindlessly. It was one thing to feel wanted. It was another to feel like a heartbreaker. It made him feel guilty.

Without informing Zhuo-gege, Prince fled the ballroom and its stifling atmosphere. He doubted it mattered. Wicked clearly didn't know what to say to him in the first place. He reached the outdoor rose-hedge labyrinth. He paused at the entrance, knowing that he shouldn't go any farther for fear of being lost for days, but one glance back and he felt his feet carrying him swiftly away.

The sight he'd seen when he turned around left him wanting to run away as fast as possible. It was unnatural to see so many eyes staring at him from the ballroom windows. So many eyes filled with pain and desire, and no one saying a word. Eerie was the only word for it. Creepy even. That's why he ran. He had to get away from it. He had to leave it all behind him.

Prince didn't know how long he continued to run deeper and deeper into the maze. He just flew as if trying to outrun the gazes and the unspoken words. By the time he slowed to a halt, he realized he was completely and utterly lost. He turned around to start retracing his steps, knowing before he even turned that it was useless. The first fork in the road only confirmed the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea which way he'd come.

He heard a voice in the distance announcing the nearing of the New Year, but the announcer's voice was muffled from the tall hedges. He could imagine everyone starting to gather outside soon to watch the fireworks and the ball drop. Those were the only two things that Prince had remembered Yu Lian talk about during the planning stages. She talked about how marvelous they would be. It was one of the few things that Prince had looked forward to tonight, and now he'd miss them because he was alone and lost in a maze. Even if he messaged someone, he knew it was hopeless. He had no idea where he was so it would take hours for someone to locate him in the first place, let alone lead him out.

He felt panicked and started running again.

He ran and ran. He ran until the faint trickling of water suddenly appeared. It wasn't much to go on, but he knew there was a fountain in the center of the maze and if he made it there then at least he could tell his teammates his exact location. The thought cheered him up and he ran closer and closer until finally breaking into a clearing where the sparkling fountain stood.

That's when he realized he wasn't alone. Another figure stood by the fountain. It turned around quickly. "Who's there?" it whispered, scanning the hedgeline.

Luckily, the moon was full and it was easy to make out the face of the person. "Gui?" Prince whispered incredulously.

"Prince?" Gui whispered back, sounding equally surprised. His shock seemed to overthrow his earlier emotions of awe at Prince's shimmering body. He continued to stare at Prince in confusion. "You made it to the center of the maze."

The bard's voice sounded like a mixture of disbelief and being impressed. Prince felt his face grow hot at the thought. It was like Gui was questioning his ability to navigate and, despite Prince knowing that Gui had every right to do so, Prince still felt irritated. "I did," he raised himself up higher, trying to look more impressive. "All by myself."

Gui quirked a funny smile at the sight and at Prince's words. He instantly knew that Gui didn't believe him. "His Highness is amazing," the bard humored him. "Even when lost, his luck leads him in the right direction."

Prince frowned and felt himself deflate immediately. Then he realized something. Gui was talking to him. _Normally _talking to him. And it wasn't because the bard was shocked by his surprise appearance. "Gui!" He launched himself at the bard and threw his arms around him, grateful for normalcy after such a disquieting evening. "You're being yourself."

Gui looked mildly alarmed. Usually he was the one throwing himself at the elf, not the other way around. "Prince?" he looked confused even as the elf just continued to hold onto him.

"It's this stupid outfit. Everyone has been staring at me, but no one comes close. No one says anything. Lolidragon and Wu Qing are too busy arguing. Yu Lian and Ugly Wolf are too busy entertaining. Meatbun's playing with Doll. I don't have anyone!" Prince suddenly wailed, letting all his emotions out.

Gui didn't know what to do. Prince had never let him hold him before, and the bard felt he couldn't even appreciate the moment because of the elf's distress. He patted his silver hair awkwardly. "What about the others? Like Nan Gong Zui? Or…" he let his eyes darken at the thought. "Wicked?"

Prince felt his breath catch. Wicked's silence was what disturbed him the most. How could one costume change affect everything? Prince shook his head, burying his face against Gui's chest. "Even you were acting unusual before," Prince's muffled voice complained.

Gui swallowed hard. Of course he was acting unusual. It's not every day you walk up to the person you love most and realize that everyone else is going to see exactly how you always envisioned them. He felt frightened…and jealous. His dream of Prince was laid bare for all to see. It was no longer uniquely his own.

But he couldn't tell the elf that. Not when his main job was to keep that innocent smile on Prince's face and wipe away all of his worries. He forced himself back into normal Gui mode. "It was because his Highness was shimmering so majestically. You take my breath away."

Prince's knuckles connected with the side of Gui's face. "You never change," Prince muttered sullenly, though Gui could hear the tint of relief and happiness within his voice.

The announcer's voice could be heard faintly in the distance. It sounded as if he was saying there was only five more minutes until midnight. Prince felt his heart sink. They'd never make it back in time to watch the ball drop and the fireworks with everyone else. Gui noticed the elf's despondent face.

"Your Highness?"

"I just wanted to spend New Year's with my friends. Not lost alone in the rose maze," Prince admitted quietly, not sure why he was suddenly telling Gui everything. His shoulders sagged at the thought.

Gui knew it wouldn't make a difference, but he said it anyway. "Prince, you're not alone. I'm right here with you." Prince continued to stare hopelessly at his feet. "And…" Gui took a deep breath and grabbed Prince's hand. "I know the way out. If we run we can still make it."

Prince brightened considerably and he looked up to stare into Gui's eyes. "Really?" he sounded almost afraid to sound hopeful.

"Anything for you, my perfect Prince."

Prince didn't have time for a retort or a chance to hit Gui in the head. The bard tugged his hand and took off at a run, leaving Prince with no choice but to follow because of their tightly clasped hands. The scenery whizzed by and Prince had no idea how Gui could keep everything straight in that genius brain of his. It all looked like the same foliage to him. The same roses, the same greenery, the same forks in the road.

The countdown to midnight slowly began. They could hear the voices of all the guests counting down the seconds as they continued to run faster and faster through the maze.

60…59…58…57…

The PMs started to come in from his teammates. "**Where are you?**" They all said. "**Tell us your location and we'll find you.**"

Prince smiled as he ran. It was their way of saying they wanted to ring in the New Year with him. He should've known better than to think they'd want otherwise. They were all on the same page after all. Gui smiled too since this was all being conveyed over the team channel. "Just a little farther," he reassured.

35…34…33…

They burst out of the maze entryway and easily spotted Lolidragon's frantic waving arm. "Prince!" she yelled upon spotting them. "Over here!"

17…16…15…

He ran up to them and they all started hugging him. "You made it! We saw you run in to the maze earlier and all thought you'd never find your way out."

"It's a good thing Gui happened to be in there too."

7…6…5…

Prince smiled up at Gui and realized belatedly that the two were still holding hands. 'Thank you,' he mouthed his appreciation to the bard and began to tug his hand away. Gui tightened his grasp around it and Prince decided he'd let the bard do as he pleased. Gui had really helped him out this time. If it wasn't for him, he'd still be lost and feeling miserable in the rose maze instead of outside celebrating with his friends.

3...2…1…

Shouts of celebration rose all around, but Prince remained unusually deaf to them. He stood still, staring into the bard's eyes as they stared lovingly back at him. Prince was awful to him, and yet Gui always gave so much to make him happy. "Happy New Year, Prince," Gui's gentle voice cut through the joyful cries. Then he leaned down and kissed the elf on the nose. "I'll always do my best to keep that smile on your face. That's really what makes you glow. Not your silly costume."

Prince felt an indescribable warmth spread from his stomach to consume his entire body even as his mind registered he should punch Gui in the face for kissing him on the nose. Fortunately for him, someone else did. "Hey, get your hands off him," Wicked looked annoyed.

"None of us were allowed to touch Prince tonight. You know that!" Ice Phoenix interjected. "It was his decision to make for who he kisses at midnight."

Prince laughed suddenly at the absurdity of the evening earlier as he finally understood all the longing gazes and the hands-off approach.

"It was a kiss on the nose! It doesn't even count!" Gui cried out as Ice Phoenix started to beat his arm.

Lolidragon came up from behind and draped an arm around Prince's shoulder. "You should all be smart enough to realize by now that Prince isn't kissing anyone tonight." Then her voice dropped to a whisper so only he could hear. "Though if I were you, I'd totally pick Gui. He's a hottie!"

Prince shook his head at the ridiculousness of Lolidragon's statement and at the chaos ready to break out before him as Wicked, Ice Phoenix, and Gui continued bickering. His friends in Second Life really were the craziest, but he wouldn't change it for the world. "Happy New Year, everyone!" he shouted gleefully.

"Happy New Year, Prince!" Everyone shouted back.

"**I love you.**" Gui's PM threw him off and caused him to flush unexpectedly.

Prince refused to look in the bard's direction and he continued with the celebration as though nothing happened. As he raised a glass of champagne to cheers, he messaged back discreetly. "**I know. You remind me all the time.**"

"**Should I stop?**"

Prince didn't respond. It was all the encouragement Gui needed to know that he wasn't completely out of the race against Wicked.

**The End (of 2011)**


End file.
